Emergency Preparedness

Originally published 15 March 2009.

Disasters or emergencies happen to all of us at some point in our lives; as adults we have the wisdom and power available to understand appropriate reactions to them. Children, however, look to us for guidance and safety. I live on the coast in the suburb of a harbor town, which means occasionally unique things can go wrong that were not issues in my Midwest home town. Sometimes these things are human error and sometimes they're naturally occurring events, but the moment at which they're upon us is the wrong time to begin thinking of how to deal with them. It is essential to be prepared beforehand, to have a plan before it's needed; especially so when acting as a caregiver to children. In this post, I'll directly address two emergency situations that the city of North Charleston, SC, has as their highest priority in their document "Emergency Operations Plan": transportation of hazardous materials, and hurricanes.

Although most people often think hurricanes would be the highest predictable disaster for a South-Eastern coastal town, North Charleston's chart on severity and frequency found at the link above actually places hazardous materials risk at "highly likely" and "catastrophic" levels, whereas hurricanes fall slightly below it at "likely". Charleston is not only a port town with a lot of its trade in the shipping industry, but it is also the home to a Navy nuclear training base. When accidents occur in transportation of hazardous materials, everybody within a certain radius of the accident site is at risk of anything from toxic air or water to fires or explosions depending on the material. These accidents also affect traffic flow, which is no easy thing in a large city with only three major thoroughfares; creating potential for a lengthier response from emergency personnel and a longer time with children waiting for their caregivers to retrieve them from school. In the event of this kind of accident, the city enacts a certain plan including notification of what steps to take, and evacuation if necessary, as stated in the link above.

Hurricanes most often give a few days warning before arriving here in Charleston. The two biggest concerns of a hurricane, no matter what severity, are damage from winds and from flooding. Before a hurricane arrives, parents and school maintenance can secure any loose items around the yard or grounds, trim trees and shrubs, shutter windows, and review the emergency plan (see below). When a hurricane is expected to arrive, school most often is already canceled; thus, schools have obvious policies on the tornadoes and flood effects. Dangers from winds seem obvious: things can fly around and break other things or people can be hurt by them. Dangers from flooding are not as obvious, as much of the risk is under the surface of the water. Flood waters flow quickly and are mixed with bacteria-rich sewage. Floods are also strong enough to break things and leave solid objects floating in it that can hit or injure whatever body part is in the water. The water can also conduct any electricity from downed power lines. In the case of flooding for whatever reason, do not allow yourself or children in your care to walk or play in the water.

Many emergencies require similar responses; as previously mentioned, flooding occurs often with a good hard rain but is also a major contributor to danger before and after a hurricane. Here are three essential general tips for preparing for local emergencies or disasters:

• Know how and where to stay informed. In the case of a disaster, police and other safety officials will be hard at work getting the word out with instructions. They may be as simple as boiling your drinking water and as complicated as evacuating the city. Understanding who is responsible for keeping you informed and the methods used to do so is vital - that responsible person may just be you! Teachers and school staff must be thoroughly familiar with their school's emergency response plan, which should identify potential emergency situations, provide guidelines on how to properly prepare students, a procedure for acting on immediate health needs, and the stated method for contacting families. Families should be sure to have battery-operated or wind-up radios in their emergency kits to receive information, and teachers keep the school's communication tools in their classroom functional and well-maintained. Remember that in many types of emergencies, cell phone towers may be overloaded and phones unreliable sources of communication.
  

• Know where to go. During disasters, he city keeps residents updated as to the severity and whether or not they wish to evacuate your area. Many of the emergencies listed by North Charleston could have the potential for evacuation in extreme situations, so have a copy of driving routes and a plan for where you will head if evacuation is required, as well as your contact numbers with someone else in the area. Don't forget to have a full gas tank! School emergency response plans will conduct drills with the students for many kinds of emergencies, both man-made and weather related, such as fire drills or drills for tornado, hurricane, earthquake or dangerous intruders.
  

• Know what extra supplies you'll need. Emergencies of all kinds may take out power, water, or sewage, or close down grocery stores and gas stations. Having an emergency supply of a first aid kit, food, water, money, batteries, soap, and toilet paper. Also, copies of important documents like birth certificates, medical records and bank account numbers will help in any number of emergency situations. Be sure to have a contact number on a land-line, as cell-phone communication may become difficult. This emergency kit can go with you if your family must evacuate. The American Red Cross provides a great list near the bottom of their article for families preparing for a hurricane. Teachers can also prepare emergency kits for their class that families help to stock with items a class may need in a power outage or evacuation. While schools will have their own policies on this topic, students may feel more secure in an emergency knowing they participated in providing extra tissues or hand sanitizer, an extra set of clothing, emergency procedures at their appropriate age level, and contact information for their families. Teachers or school officials should also have contact information and medical records (and medication, if appropriate) with them when leaving the building with the students.

Not preparing ahead for disasters and emergencies exposes you and the children in your care to physical injury or sickness during the time of the disaster and in the recovery time following. Do some research on the major emergencies in your area to be aware of what may happen in each situation. Be sure to check with your city and state officials on how they communicate with residents and businesses and use that information when you make your emergency plan. The Department of Education provides a crisis planning guide for assisting schools and communities in creating an emergency response plan. Parents and teachers should work together in preparing children both in physical needs, such as the emergency kit, and in emotional needs by talking together about the emergency plan and going through drills both at school and at home. In both settings, involve the children in planning in age-appropriate ways. At home for example, the children may help choose a family meet-up spot down the street in case of a home fire. Also, parents or family friends who are public safety or health officials can come speak to classroom students about emergencies and disasters, and school staff can provide further information on preparedness both at home and school for school families.